Many electronic devices such as portable media players, smart phones, laptops, and monitors have one or more mechanical buttons that can be actuated by a user. The general nature of the design and implementation of mechanical buttons is such that those buttons need an external surface that the user interacts with and a separate and discreet structure within the electronic device so that the buttons can be depressed. This discreet structure can disrupt the cosmetic appeal of the electronic device and require additional manufacturing processing. For example, some portable electronic devices utilize a touch screen display that includes a mechanical switch. Many of these touch screens are formed from glass or plastic, so that they can be used as a display as well as a touch input device. In order to place a mechanical switch within the touch display, the glass or plastic needs to be processed to accommodate the space required for the switch. This processing could, for example, include drilling a hole in the glass and any subsequent processing to remove any sharp edges, etc. In any event, the addition of a hole in the glass for the mechanical switch detracts from the cosmetic appeal that a completely uniform surface would provide. That whole also provides a potential avenue for contaminants, such as a grain of sand, to potentially interfere with the proper functioning of the switch. Accordingly, what is needed are “soft” buttons that can be implemented using the touch surface itself, such that the cosmetic appeal of the electronic device is enhanced and manufacturing processing can be reduced.